Toy ball with intermeshed gears

ABSTRACT

An intermeshed gear toy, comprising at least eight primary gears, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn, and at least six additional gears, at least some of which are located along the faces of the virtual cube, each additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of these additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority of provisional application serial No. 60/300,033, filed on Jun. 21, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to a toy ball with internal gears that are user-operable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Toy balls are typically bounced, rolled or thrown. Balls for infants and toddlers may have more visual stimulation or feedback associated with them so that they can be held and manipulated by the child. It is desirable to provide this feedback and stimulation to either a child or adult user of a toy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention features a toy product that comprises at least eight directly or indirectly intermeshed gears. Eight of the gears are held in a particular spatial relationship such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube. At least one of the gears can be turned by the user. Because the gears are intermeshed, and because of their spatial interrelationship, turning one gear results in all of the gears turning, thus making all eight gears user operable.

[0005] In the embodiments shown in the drawings, there are six additional gears that are not operable by the user, each of which contacts four of the eight user-operable gears. These six gears are located at what would be the faces of the same virtual cube. Each of these additional gears is intermeshed with the four surrounding user-operable gears. These additional gears create additional motion that makes the toy more visually interesting.

[0006] It is not a necessary limitation of the invention that each of the eight “operable” gears actually be operable by the user. Since all of the gears move when anyone gear is moved, it is only necessary to have some means to allow the user to rotate at least one of these operable gears. For example, in the second embodiment shown in the drawings, only two of the fourteen overall gears can actually be turned directly by the user.

[0007] This invention features an intermeshed gear toy, comprising at least eight primary gears, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn. The toy preferably further comprises six additional gears located along the faces of the virtual cube, each additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of these additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned.

[0008] One or more of the primary gears may comprise a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle. The toy may further comprise a spherical cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handle to be operated by a user. The toy may also further comprise a core portion located within the cover member. The core portion may carry the primary gears. The core portion may carry the additional gears. The core portion may comprise a plurality of identical core members engaged with one another to create the core portion. The core portion may be made up of six core members. These core members may comprise a central post and four prongs equally spaced circumferentially around the post. The core portion may define eight primary gear-receiving posts, each created by three adjacent core member prongs. The additional gears may be located on the central posts of the core members.

[0009] The toy may further comprise caps engaged with each additional gear and lying in part outside of the cover member, to hold the additional gears in place relative to the cover member. The user-operable handle may be hemispherical. There may be eight primary gears, each comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear.

[0010] Also featured is an intermeshed gear toy, comprising eight primary gears, one or more of the primary gears comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn, six additional gears located along the faces of the virtual cube, each additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of these additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned, a cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handles to be operated by a user, and a core portion located within the cover member, wherein the core portion carries the primary gears and the additional gears.

[0011] Also featured is an intermeshed gear toy, comprising eight primary gears, one or more of the primary gears comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they arc located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of tie primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn, six additional gears located along the faces of the virtual cube, each additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of these additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned, a cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handles to be operated by a user, and a core portion located within the cover member, wherein the core portion carries the primary gears and the additional gears, and wherein the core portion comprises two or more engaged core members, the core portion defining eight posts that carry the primary gears, and six additional posts that carry the additional gears.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The drawings depict the two preferred embodiments of the invention. All of the parts can be injection molded of a suitable plastic material, such as clear or colored ABS.

[0013]FIG. 1 depicts the first embodiment fully assembled.

[0014]FIG. 2 depicts the internal portion of both embodiments that comprises the core and six gears that are not operable by the user that lie along the faces of the virtual cube.

[0015]FIG. 3 depicts one core piece that is used to make up the core of FIG. 2.

[0016]FIG. 4 depicts one of the gears depicted in FIG. 2.

[0017]FIG. 5 depicts the external hemispheres of the ball shown in FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 6 depicts the eight operable gears of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0019]FIG. 7 depicts a nose element that holds the non-operable gears to the core in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 8 depicts a cap that goes on the user operable gears of FIG. 6 that serves to hold the gears on the core and also present a face that can be decorated.

[0021]FIG. 9 depicts a clear cap that is meant to go over the caps of FIG. 8.

[0022]FIG. 10 depicts an assembled view of the second embodiment of the ball of this invention.

[0023]FIG. 11 shows one form of plug, and

[0024]FIG. 12 a second form of plug, that are used to hold the fourteen gears on the core of FIG. 2 for this second embodiment.

[0025]FIG. 13 depicts the two identical external hemispheric coverings for the ball of FIG. 10, that also accomplish the user operable portions of this ball.

[0026]FIG. 14 shows a cap that is meant to cover the open area of the hemispheres of FIG. 13 to complete the appearance of the ball of this embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Ball 10, FIG. 1, comprises a generally spherical preferably clear portion 12 made up of two identical mating hemispheres 12 a and 12 b, and external members 14 that operate eight user-operable gears. Members 14 are shown in FIG. 6 as comprising gripable external handles 16 and integral internal gears 15. Caps 42 are connected to internal gears 22, FIG. 2A. FIG. 2 depicts core member 20 that is present in both of the preferred embodiments. Member 20 comprises core portion 30 that is made from six core members 40 (FIG. 3) that are fitted together in such a manner that three of the prongs 41 are ganged together to create prong assemblies 45. Center posts 43 carry gears 22. Gears 22 thus are carried on what would be the faces of a virtual cube. Prong assemblies 45 are adapted to each carry one of the eight gear members 14, FIG. 6 at what would be the corners of the same virtual cube. Each gear 15 of member 14 is intermeshed with the three non-operable gears 22 that arc adjacent to it. Thus, each of gears 22 is intermeshed with four user-operable gears 15 that surround it.

[0028] Once the assembly of FIG. 2 is created, two of the clear hemispheres 12 a and 12 b shown in FIG. 5 are fitted over this core such that the eight prong assemblies 45 lie below the large holes 48, and the round central openings in the tops of gears 22 are adjacent to the six small openings 49 in the hemispheres. Caps 42, FIG. 7, are then inserted through the six smaller openings 49 in the two hemispheres engage with a gear 22 to hold the gear in place relative to the sphere. Gear members 14 are then pushed onto the prong assemblies 45. Eight caps 44 (FIG. 8) arc then placed into the external open faces 17 of operable gear members 14. Stickers or other interesting or colorful indicia are presented on faces 47 of caps 44. Clear caps 46 (FIG. 9) are then placed over face 47 of each of caps 44 to complete the assembly of the ball shown in FIG. 1. When one of handles 16 is turned, all fourteen of the gears turn. The motion is visible through the clear outer covering, to present an interesting and visually stimulating action toy.

[0029] The second embodiment of the invention is accomplished as ball 60, FIG. 10. Ball 60 includes two user operable hemispheres 61 and 62 that arc preferably clear so that the internal workings of the ball can be shown. The assembly of ball 60 starts with core 20, FIG. 2. In this case, six additional universal gears 22, FIG. 4, are added to six of the prong assemblies 45 of core 20 that in the first embodiment of the ball have coupled to them a user-operable gear member 14. In the second embodiment, two diametrically opposed prong assemblies 45 arc left empty. Prong plug 62, FIG. 11, fits over the six gears that are on prong assemblies 45, such that each of the three protruding portions making up prong assemblies 45 fit through one opening in plug 62 and snap therein, to prevent the gears from dislodging from the core. The six gears on central posts 43 of core members 40 are held in place with gear tie 64, FIG. 12.

[0030] Hemisphere portions 66 are then placed over the two diametrically opposed empty prong assemblies 45. Integral toothed portions 68 intermesh with the surrounding gears, so that when one of hemispheres 61 or 62 is turned, all of the fourteen gears turn, to set the entire ball in motion. Thus, each hemisphere portion 61, 62 effectively accomplishes one user-operable gear, just as are present in the first embodiment. Decorative caps 74 (FIG. 14) have eight protrusions that fit in the eight slots surrounding central opening 67 and located in depression 72, FIG. 13, to create a relatively smooth external appearance of ball 60.

[0031] The two preferred embodiments both comprise in total fourteen intermeshed gears, eight located at the corners and six located on the faces of a virtual sphere, to accomplish the intermeshed gearing functionality of the ball. However, this quantity and arrangement of gears is not a necessary limitation of the invention. As stated above, the invention could be accomplished with a minimum of eight gears defining the corners of a virtual cube, and with each gear intermeshed with at least one other gear, such that all the gears rotate when any one of the gears is rotated. Additionally, less than or more than six intervening, intermeshed gears can be used to create more motion when one gear is turned. Such options would be apparent to mechanically minded persons who are familiar with different types of gearing and how such can be intermeshed to accomplish the driving of all the gears when one gear is operated.

[0032] Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not others, this is for convenience only as some feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention.

[0033] Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims: 

What is claimed is:
 1. An intermeshed gear toy, comprising: at least eight primary gears, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn.
 2. The toy of claim 1 further comprising at least six additional gears, at least some of which are located along the faces of the virtual cube, each additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of these additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned.
 3. The toy of claim 1, wherein one or more of the primary gears comprise a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle.
 4. The toy of claim 3, further comprising a cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handles to be operated by a user.
 5. The toy of claim 4, further comprising a core portion located within the cover member.
 6. The toy of claim 5, wherein the core portion carries the primary gears.
 7. The toy of claim 6, wherein the core portion carries the additional gears.
 8. The toy of claim 5, wherein the core portion comprises a plurality of identical core members engaged with one another to create the core portion.
 9. The toy of claim 8, wherein the core portion is made up of six core members.
 10. The toy of claim 8 wherein the core portion is made up of two core members.
 11. The toy of claim 9, wherein each core member comprises a central post and four prongs equally spaced circumferentially around the post.
 12. The toy of claim 11, wherein the core portion defines eight primary gear-receiving posts, each created by three adjacent core member prongs.
 13. The toy of claim 12, wherein the additional gears are located on the central posts of the core members.
 14. The toy of claim 4, further comprising caps engaged with each additional gear and lying in part outside of the cover member, to hold the additional gears in place relative to the cover member.
 15. The toy of claim 3, wherein the user-operable handle is hemispherical.
 16. The toy of claim 3, wherein there are eight primary gears, each comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear.
 17. An intermeshed gear toy, comprising: eight primary gears, one or more of the primary gears comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn; six additional gears located along the faces of the virtual cube, each of such six additional gears intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all of the six additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned; a cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handles to be operated by a user; and a core portion located within the cover member, wherein the core portion carries the primary gears and the additional gears.
 18. An intermeshed gear toy, comprising: eight primary gears, one or more of the primary gears comprising a user-operable handle and an integral gear located below the handle, the primary gears spatially interrelated such that they are located at what would be the corners of a virtual cube, the primary gears directly or indirectly connected such that when any one of the primary gears is turned, all of the primary gears turn; six additional gears located along the faces of the virtual cube, each of such six additional gear intermeshed with one or more of the primary gears, to increase the motion of the device such that all six of the additional gears also move when any one primary gear is turned; a cover member located under the handles and above the integral gears, to allow the handles to be operated by a user; and a core portion located within the cover member, wherein the core portion carries the primary gears and the additional gears, and wherein the core portion comprises two or more engaged core members, the core portion defining eight posts that carry the primary gears, and six additional posts that carry the additional gears. 